Changes brought in by NATS on February 4th means new noise ghettos in east London

Date added: February 4, 2016

On 4th February, NATS implemented the first phase of its LAMP (London Airspace Management Programme). It says this was approved by the CAA in November 2015. It means that routes into and out of London City airport will be altered, and routes will be concentrated – using PR-NAV (precision navigation). The changes involve use of a “point merge” system for arrivals, with the joining points to the ILS out at sea. They will mean all the planes from Westerly departures will be routed over for Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Redbridge, Barkingside, Collier Row and Harold Hill. For Easterly departures, all the planes will be routed over Barking Riverside, Dagenham, Elm park and Hornchurch. And for Easterly arrivals, all the planes will be routed over Bexley, Sidcup, New Eltham, Mottingham, Catford, Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall. The changes are described by NATS in glowing terms – about “more efficient flights, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions, reducing noise, keeping aircraft higher for longer and minimising areas regularly overflown.” And, of course, enabling more flights to be crammed into crowded airspace – to enable the aviation industry to increase the number of flights. HACAN East is talking to its lawyers about a JR against the CAA for failure to consult.
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You can read more about this, from the perspective of the local community group, HACAN East, here

Just before Christmas, the CAA announced it had given London City Airport permission to concentrate its flight paths. This will mean communities across east and south-east Lodnon will no longer benefit from a break from the noise.

Many people will be in utter despair at the decision. It means that residents, who were hardly overflown at all by planes from London City airport a few years ago, face the prospect of living under a concentrated flight path for the rest of their lives (unless they can move). HACAN East is now speaking with lawyers to find a way to challenging the decision. http://hacaneast.org.uk/home/

Airspace change to go live

03 February 2016 (NATS press release)

This is what NATS says:

NATS has today (3 February) announced that its Airspace Change Proposal for the first phase of the London Airspace Management Programme (LAMP) will be implemented tomorrow (4 February), following approval by the CAA in November 2015.

The changes pave the way for wider modernisation of airspace to deliver more efficient flights, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions, and reducing noise, keeping aircraft higher for longer and minimising areas regularly overflown.

The changes include:

A Point Merge arrival system [see image below] for London City Airport. This is over the sea and will replace conventional routes which are over land

New alignments for London City departure routes that pass over Essex and Kent. Other existing routes at the airport are being replicated to RNAV standard, which will enable aircraft to climb to higher altitudes more quickly

High level changes, at 7,000ft and above, will also be implemented along the south coast affecting Bournemouth, Southampton and TAG Farnborough airports. This will mean fewer flights over land.

The changes support the delivery of the UK’s Future Airspace Strategy (FAS) and ensure that this critical but invisible infrastructure, on which an industry that contributes nearly £50bn to the GDP and employs almost one million people relies, is able to keep pace with the Government’s growth forecasts of 40% by 2030.

The decision by the CAA followed a series of public consultations by NATS, London City and TAG Farnborough airports as part of the Airspace Change Proposal.

This project has benefitted from European Union funding under the Innovation and Networks Agency (INEA) / Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

And there is a short video showing all the highly concentrated flight paths across the south east. Link

The image below (a still from the video) shows what Point Merge looks like for London City airport. Instead of planes stacking, they fly along an arc, and then down one of the many lines from the arc, to the merge point, and then down the ILS to the runway.

The image below (a still from the video) shows the concentrated take off routes from London City, in westerly operations – taking off towards the west.

The image below (a still from the video) shows how take-offs from Stansted are being directed on a concentrated line towards the east.

London City given permission to concentrate its flight paths

Just before Christmas the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that it had given London City Airport permission to concentrate its flight paths.

The change is due to come into effect on February 4th.

But HACAN East is consulting with lawyers about the possibility of a legal challenge

If the flight paths are introduced:

Most days Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Redbridge, Barkingside and Collier Row will get all the departures from the airport. Thamesmead will be badly hit by arrivals. All these areas will be hit about 70% of the time in a typical year: the days a west wind is blowing.

When the wind comes from the east all the departures will go over Barking Riverside, Dagenham and Hornchurch. And all the arrivals will go over Sidcup, New Eltham, Mottingham, Catford, Forest Hill, Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall.

Although these changed flight paths are due to come in on February 4th, most of the communities that will be affected have not been told about them.

Judicial Review

HACAN East has been working with its lawyers about a possible Judicial Review against the CAA, for their failure to organise proper consultations about the flight path changes. Their pre-action protocol letter from solicitors Leigh Day to the CAA is here. Leigh Day Pre-Action Protocot letter 26.1.2016 London City